Prepare for Medicare open enrollment now
Medicare can be confusing. How will you choose the best plan(s) to fit your unique health needs?
At this time of year, Medicare recipients are receiving notices from their current plans and mailings from other companies offering their plans. Even though it may seem overwhelming to read through the information, it is important.
Oct. 15 through Dec. 7 is the time of year to re-evaluate your Medicare health coverage to be sure it will meet your health care needs going forward, learn whether your prescriptions are still covered in 2021 and understand any changes that occurred in your current plans.
Pennsylvania offers the APPRISE Program, a free health insurance counseling program designed to help Pennsylvanians with Medicare. APPRISE counselors are state-trained volunteers who provide objective, easy-to-understand information about health insurance options to Medicare beneficiaries and to those who are becoming eligible for Medicare.
Counselors will answer your questions and provide you with information about Original Medicare, Medicare Supplemental Insurance, Prescription Drug Plans, Medicare Advantage Plans and financial assistance programs, so that you can make more informed decisions about your choices. APPRISE counselors are objective, independent and have no financial interest in the decisions you make.
Due to COVID-19, APPRISE counselors in our area will only be available via phone or by virtual meetings online. In Montgomery County, APPRISE counselors volunteer through RSVP and can be reached at 610-834-1040, ext. 120. In Bucks County, counselors are available through the Bucks County Area Agency on Aging at 267-880-5700. In Chester County, services are offered through the Chester
County Department of Aging Services at 610344-5004. In Delaware County, services are offered through the Delaware County Senior Community Services at 484494-3769.
When you call, an APPRISE counselor will call you back to educate, answer questions or research and discuss options on your particular situation.
If you want to learn about Medicare before you call APPRISE, a way to do this is to watch some videos about it. One website to explore is the Montgomery County APPRISE Medicare Help site, which you can find at www.rsvpmc.org/medicare-help.
There you will find easy-to-understand videos on Medicare Basics (Medicare 101), How to Enroll in Medicare and other topics pertaining to help with Medicare and prescription expenses. There is even an Online Toolkit that provides a Medicare Preventative Benefits checklist you can discuss with your doctor.
Another great website is www.Medicare.gov. There you can create your own MyMedicare account, store medical records, sign up for Medicare for the first time at age 65, check or compare drug costs, find out which procedures are covered and find and research medical providers in your area.
If you are about to turn 65, retired and are taking Social Security payments, enrollment in Medicare will be automatic as of the first day of your 65th birthday month. Talk to an APPRISE counselor to understand your Medicare coverage options.
If you are about to turn 65, retired and haven’t started taking Social Security payments, you should know that enrollment in Medicare is not automatic. You will need to enroll in Medicare Part A (Hospital in-patient coverage), Medicare Part B (out-patient services) and Medicare Part D (prescription plan). An APPRISE counselor can help you with this.
If you are about to turn 65, still working and are covered by your employer’s medical plan, as long as your employer has more than 20 employees, you can defer enrollment (but always check with your employer about this). Talk to an APPRISE counselor now to understand how you will enroll in Medicare when your employment ends.
APPRISE counselors are available to not only help you select the best plan to suit your current or anticipated needs, but they may be able to save you money as well. Counselors can compare your medical needs and prescriptions against all the plans available in your area and help you select the plan that is best for you.
Also, some people with lower incomes may qualify for programs that can reduce Medicare-related costs. The Extra Help Federal program and the Pennsylvania State PACE/ PACENET program can help. There are also Medicare Savings Programs for people on Medicare with limited income and resources that can help with co-insurance, co-pays, deductibles and prescription drug costs. APPRISE counselors can help you determine if any of these are right for you.
So, talk to an APPRISE counselor about your Medicare questions and concerns. You can call 610-834-1040, ext. 120, or visit www.rsvpmc.org/ medicare-help for APPRISE in Montgomery County, 267-880-5700 for APPRISE in Bucks County, 610-344-5004 (option 2) for APPRISE in Chester County or 484-494-3769 for APPRISE in Delaware County.
RSVP (Responding to Community Needs Through Volunteerism) improves the lives of vulnerable populations in the Greater Philadelphia area and beyond with programs focusing on education and wellness which utilize a dedicated pool of 1,200-plus, volunteers. To learn more visit www.rsvpmc.org.